You Won't Believe How Much Kaitlyn Bristowe Was Paid for 'Bachelorette'
The key takeaway here is to always negotiate.
Kaitlyn Bristowe recently revealed how much she earned for her appearances on The Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars–and apparently, it took a bit of negotiation.
During Monday’s episode of her fiancé Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast, Bristow revealed that while the network decided between casting her or Britt Nilsson for season 11 of The Bachelorette, she was initially offered $40,000 for the gig.
"I think they offered me $40,000. You’d think I’d be like, ‘Jackpot! Sign me up!’" she said with a chuckle, telling Tartrick that she actually hired an entertainment lawyer to help her negotiate a better deal.
Related: 'Bachelorette' Alum Kaitlyn Bristowe Details Falling Out With Chris Harrison Over Hosting Gig
Bristowe, 37, explained that at the time, she had been living off of the $1,500 the network previously paid her for during her time as a contestant on the previous season of The Bachelor, noting that she could only afford the lawyer’s "upfront retainer of five grand" with the help of her stepdad.
But hiring that lawyer, who she claimed was "one of the best entertainment lawyers in LA," was well worth it, as it "changed a lot and negotiated [her] contract big time."
“One of the executive producers said to me, ‘You got an entertainment lawyer, and you’re asking for this amount of money? I’m sorry. I thought this is about love for you,'” Bristowe recalled.
She continued, “F—k off! It’s about love and money, OK? They go hand in hand for me right now. Because they said you’re going against Britt, I was like, ‘I’m not doing it.’”
Bristowe told producers she would only accept an offer if the network paid her as much as former Bachelor star Chris Soules, whom she dated while a contestant on Season 19.
"I said I wanted to make the same as he did,” Bristowe said, citing salary ranges of $75,000 to $100,000 for previous Bachelors.
She also said she made sure that even if ABC decided to go with Nilsson, she would still get paid. "I had also negotiated that if it was her, I still got money."
Luckily, Bristowe was chosen to find love on the season–which initially aired in 2015–and even got engaged to contestant Shawn Booth. The couple broke up three years later, but Bristowe said she got to keep the Neil Lane engagement ring since they were together for over two years.
“Neil Lane has first rights of buying it back,” she explained, adding that she could sell the $30,000 ring with the jewelry brand’s permission.
Bristowe continued her business relationship with ABC, co-hosting seasons 17 and 18 of The Bachelorette with Tayshia Adams and appearing on Dancing With the Stars.
While Bristowe didn't cough up a number for her DWTS salary, she did share that contestants get paid a bonus for each round they make.
Next: 'Bachelorette' Alum Details Being Attacked and Robbed During Trip to Colombia
